A booming saga for German-built passenger ships

摘要

Saga Cruises' long-awaited Spirit of Discovery made headlines in July as the first vessel to be named at the Port of Dover in over a decade. Although the ship is being trumpeted for its Britishness, with its acute tailoring to the English market and British style interiors, the vessel strongly represents the expertise of German engineering. Built by Meyer Werft at its main shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, the €350 million (US$400 million) Spirit of Discovery is Saga's first purpose-built cruise ship. It replaces the company's Saga Pearl Ⅱ, which was constructed in 1981 and underwent a £20 million three-month refit after being acquired by the UK-based cruise line at auction in 2009.